Substrate liquid processing apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a substrate liquid processing apparatus that includes: a liquid processing unit that performs a liquid processing on a film formed on a surface of a substrate with an etching liquid; an etching liquid supply unit that supplies an etching liquid to the liquid processing unit; and a controller that controls the etching liquid supply unit. The controller is configured to perform a control such that an etching liquid in a state of having a relatively low etching rate for the film is supplied from the etching liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit so that the substrate is etched in the liquid processing unit, and then, an etching liquid in a state of having a relatively high etching rate for the film is supplied from the etching liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit so that the substrate is etched in the liquid processing unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A substrate liquid processing apparatus comprising:
 a liquid processing unit configured to perform a liquid processing on a silicon nitride film formed on a surface of a silicon oxide film which is formed on a surface of a substrate with an etching liquid including a phosphoric acid aqueous solution; 
 an etching liquid supply unit configured to supply the etching liquid to the liquid processing unit; and 
 a controller programmed to control the etching liquid supply unit, 
 wherein the controller is programmed with a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program that when executed causes a computer to perform: 
 setting an etching time and an etching amount for etching the substrate with a standard etching liquid having a predetermined standard etching rate for the silicon nitride film as a standard etching time and a standard etching amount, respectively; 
 a first supplying the etching liquid having a lower etching rate for the silicon nitride film than the predetermined standard etching rate for the silicon nitride film from the etching liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit so that the silicon nitride film is etched in the liquid processing unit; 
 after the first supplying the etching liquid, a second supplying the etching liquid having a higher etching rate for the silicon nitride film than the predetermined standard etching rate for the silicon nitride film from the etching liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit so that the silicon nitride film is further etched in the liquid processing unit, thereby allowing an etching amount of the silicon oxide film to be smaller than an etching amount of the silicon oxide film in a case where the standard etching liquid is used to perform the liquid processing on the silicon nitride film; 
 setting an etching time and an etching amount for etching the substrate in the liquid processing unit by supplying, from the etching liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit, the etching liquid having the lower etching rate for the silicon nitride film than the predetermined standard etching rate for the silicon nitride film, as a first processing time and a first etching amount, respectively; 
 setting an etching time and an etching amount for etching the substrate in the liquid processing unit by supplying, from the etching liquid supply unit to the liquid processing unit, the etching liquid having the higher etching rate for the silicon nitride film than the predetermined standard etching rate for the silicon nitride film, as a second processing time and a second etching amount, respectively; and 
 controlling such that a sum of the first processing time and the second processing time becomes the standard processing time, and a sum of the first etching amount and the second etching amount becomes the standard etching amount. 
 
     
     
       2. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to perform changing an etching rate for the silicon nitride film by changing a temperature or a concentration of the etching liquid supplied to the liquid processing unit from the etching liquid supply unit. 
     
     
       3. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to perform:
 the first supplying the etching liquid until a silicon concentration in the etching liquid becomes a concentration at which an amount of the silicon oxide film etched by the etching liquid is suppressed; and 
 after the first supplying the etching liquid, the second supplying the etching liquid having the higher etching rate for the silicon nitride film than the predetermined standard etching rate for the silicon nitride film. 
 
     
     
       4. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further programmed to perform the etching such that:
 an etching rate of the etching liquid for the silicon oxide film depends on a temperature and a concentration of the etching liquid in addition to the silicon concentration in the etching liquid. 
 
     
     
       5. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is further programmed to perform the etching such that:
 in the first supplying the etching liquid and the second supplying the etching liquid, as the silicon concentration increases, the etching rate of the etching liquid for the silicon oxide film decreases. 
 
     
     
       6. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to perform:
 in the setting the etching time and the etching amount for etching the substrate with the standard etching liquid, immersing the substrate in the standard etching liquid for the standard etching time.